Re: If RA comes on slow? Debbie

[Guest guest]

Hi Debbie:

Mine, I believe, came on pretty slow. I had aches and

pains in my hands and fingers (probably a lot like

what you are having now), but since I was working

making jewelry for a friend's business, and making a

lot of stuff on a daily basis, I figured it was just

that I was working my hands too hard. Well, one

night, my thumbs began to hurt, and that spread soon

to my entire hand and fingers - my hands were swollen

like little red hot and very painful balloons, and my

feet were swollen too. I could not even sleep that

night due to the pain.

I went to the doctor next day, was dx a few weeks

later, and it pretty much stayed in my hands for about

a year, and then gradually started moving around, to

my wrists, shoulders, elbows, and then down into my

legs, especially the tops of my feet and ankles. All

of this, howevever, took about 5 years to develop,

whereas some other people's RA comes on literally

overnight and is in every joint quickly. I have been

lucky that way, and was able to adjust to the RA

better, I feel, than someone who had to deal with

severe and sudden RA.

My joints sometimes get red and swollen, but more

often I have a lot of pain and stiffness in my joints,

and have the flares from time to time. You need to

just be aware that because your mom has RA, you do

need to have your doctor made aware of it so that

he/she can watch for any symptoms of RA, and test you

so that you begin treatment as soon as possible.

Hopefully, you will not develop RA - not everybody

with a family history does - and I hope you will be

one of the lucky ones who does not.

Hope this help -

Kathe in CA

--- deebs87 <dlohf@...> wrote:

> Hi Kathe,

>

> I read your note telling someone that RA can come on

> fast. I am curious

> now if it can come on slow. My mom has RA but I

> don't think I will get

> it. But since I have fibro, OA and DDD I might. I do

> have many joints

> that bother me but none swell or turn red.

>

> thanks,

>

> Debbie L

>

>

>

>

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